This work challenges the traditional view that
Shakespeares Henry V is a celebration of nationalism, patriotism and
war. Recognising that many commentators have sensed a thematic divergence
in the play which contrasts militarism with pacifism and humanity, Merriam
relates this divergence to the play's verse and prose. The verse is rhetorically
inflated and manipulative in the style of Marlowe's Tamburlaine, while the
prose consists mostly of comic irony which undermines the triumphalist ethos
of war and tends to throw an unflattering light on Henry's warlike fustian.
The likely explanation is that the play is a composite of an earlier one,
probably written by Marlowe, the comic parts subsequently having been added
by Shakespeare as his gloss on the original. The prose parts reflect a distinct
Shakespearian viewpoint, such as is found in Troilus and Cressida, a play
of a slightly later date, or King John, (somewhat earlier).

Various logometric tests are used to examine
the writing and to see if divergence of authorship is apparent. It emerges
that, whatever metric is used, the verse parts of Henry V appear to be atypical
of other Shakespearian verse. Conversely, the prose parts of the play consistently
coincide with Shakespearian stylometric norms. The verse is found to be
much closer to the Marlowe norms.

The author concludes that we should be prepared
to review the outdated belief that everything in the First Folio is purely
and uncorruptedly Shakespearian, an unlikely fact given the co-operative
nature of many Elizabethan plays. And that we should also see in this work
a profounder and more coherent approach to the problem of power and kingship
than the traditional interpretation of a triumphant and chauvinist Henry
permits.

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